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Turning a 2011 27" iMac to a Standalone display
- Thread starter zoran
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Note that another kit, also from AliExpress, was listed first in the post #3, above.
www.aliexpress.us
Appears to be almost identical to the kit that you asked about, but actually lists your 2011 iMac as supported by the kit.
But, no, not ever tried one of those kits, or anything like it.
Maybe you could give it a go (it's less than $7)? Post back here to report what you find out, and if it works for you...
27 '' iMac A1312 A1316 A1407 2K LCD Controller drive Board Monitor Display kit For LM270WQ1 A2 C2 E3 B1 B3 screen test mainboard - AliExpress 7
Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
But, no, not ever tried one of those kits, or anything like it.
Maybe you could give it a go (it's less than $7)? Post back here to report what you find out, and if it works for you...
For the kit I’m asking, there were some comments in AliExpress that the display was dim when used. So taken that as a fact I’m trying to get to the bottom of it. 😉Note that another kit, also from AliExpress, was listed first in the post #3, above.
Appears to be almost identical to the kit that you asked about, but actually lists your 2011 iMac as supported by the kit.27 '' iMac A1312 A1316 A1407 2K LCD Controller drive Board Monitor Display kit For LM270WQ1 A2 C2 E3 B1 B3 screen test mainboard - AliExpress 7
Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
But, no, not ever tried one of those kits, or anything like it.
Maybe you could give it a go (it's less than $7)? Post back here to report what you find out, and if it works for you...
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It's 7 dollars.
Not the same kit that you posted, but one of the kits that Nguyen Duc Hieu suggested.
It's only 7 dollars -- try it out for yourself. You may have a different result than someone else.
If it does what you want, great!... If not, then you're only out 7 dollars (well - also a bit of your time)
Either way, it will be some fun. Let us know how it turns out!
Not the same kit that you posted, but one of the kits that Nguyen Duc Hieu suggested.
It's only 7 dollars -- try it out for yourself. You may have a different result than someone else.
If it does what you want, great!... If not, then you're only out 7 dollars (well - also a bit of your time)
Either way, it will be some fun. Let us know how it turns out!
It will cost more than 7$.
In the link, there is a menu to select a kit that is compatible to your LCD panel. The price will change. It will be 27$ or 28$. 7$ is the price of the mini speakers. 10$ is the 12V 5A adapter.
You will need to spend an extra 10$~12$ or more for a 12V 10A adapter. 5A adapter will not be enough to get you the maximum brightness. 10A might do the trick.
But then, spending 38$ to convert a dead iMac to a 27$ 2K monitor seems to be a nice idea.
Guess what I've just started a project on...
^^this kit was bought for
this iMac's LCD ;
The Donor - 2011 imac that I baked the GPU three times (still working!) and then the HDD died and I couldn't be bothered to do any more than make it a VDU.
Thanks to Nguyen Duc Hieu, I will use the Japan guy's video project for inspiration, especially using the speakers and Power button - that's a great fix.
HDMI+VGA LCD monitor Controller Driver Board Kit for imac 27" 2K A1312 LM270WQ1 | eBay
Video Input: HDMI VGA. So that the engineer make sure about it ,and send you the right kit. Audio Output: Speaker out (The 3.5mm audio jack in this kit cannot be used. Board Size:82mm x 60mm x 5mm. ).
www.ebay.co.uk
^^this kit was bought for
this iMac's LCD ;
The Donor - 2011 imac that I baked the GPU three times (still working!) and then the HDD died and I couldn't be bothered to do any more than make it a VDU.
Thanks to Nguyen Duc Hieu, I will use the Japan guy's video project for inspiration, especially using the speakers and Power button - that's a great fix.
Did you see any low or different brightness compared with the original setup in the display while using the kit?
I have just test - connected it to make sure it's working at all before I start emptying the chassis of the original iMac.
I could see by the menu of the controller board that brightness and contrast can be adjusted, I ran it to dimmest and then back to brightest, the defaults were 100%bright and 50% contrast when I switched on.
I'm not going to try an run this side by side with another iMac or Apple type of display, so I'm not concerned if it is different to the OEM condition.
Edited to add - i just hooked it back up, propped up on the desk to play with it some more, it does to me look maybe 80-90% of the brightness it was running native. But it is subjective, I can't measure it.
I did also try two different power supplies, it's the same with both a 3A and a 5A is all I have. The note in the box it was delivered in was telling me 4A. The ebay advert states 4A or 5A. So If it makes no functional difference, I'll go back to the 3A supply.
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Can anyone tell which part of the controller board is responsible for the lower display brightness?
Is it the led driver chip, the power adapter or something else?
Also, is it possible to connect the display with the controller board and the power adapter without removing any parts from the iMac? Can i just leave it as is and just connect the controller board and see if its working?
Is it the led driver chip, the power adapter or something else?
Also, is it possible to connect the display with the controller board and the power adapter without removing any parts from the iMac? Can i just leave it as is and just connect the controller board and see if its working?
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Found this thread.
I bought a 12V 10A PSU from amazon. I tested it and it was same brightness.
To make sure, I connected my old 12V 5A and the 10A to a watt-meter, and I'm seeing the same watt pull which is around 35-40 watts. Mine is a 2009 iMac display, which I believe is rated to 100W at maximum brightness.
I think ultimately, 3rd party boards don't supply enough power to the display regardless of the PSU.
Very sad situation.
edit:
part list
PSU https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MYIY2KK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
PSU https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087LY94T6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
board: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804968823952.html?
I bought a 12V 10A PSU from amazon. I tested it and it was same brightness.
To make sure, I connected my old 12V 5A and the 10A to a watt-meter, and I'm seeing the same watt pull which is around 35-40 watts. Mine is a 2009 iMac display, which I believe is rated to 100W at maximum brightness.
I think ultimately, 3rd party boards don't supply enough power to the display regardless of the PSU.
Very sad situation.
edit:
part list
PSU https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MYIY2KK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
PSU https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087LY94T6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
board: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804968823952.html?
Be careful.
display brightness of my old iMac
Hey there! I tried the LCD driver board kit, but the brightness was about 120nits, so almost not usable. So I tried to - connected it with the original backlight board (needed to modify the cable to do so) - soldered the BLO and ADJ pins on the LCD driver board kit (a super friendly seller...
forums.macrumors.com
It's 10$ plus shipping.
Hello everyone!
I'm facing a serious issue with my iMac 27" from 2011 and can't seem to find a solution. Here are the main problems:
- All fans are running at maximum speed.
- The CPU is throttled to 1.7 GHz.
- The GPU is running at only 20% of its capacity.
- After waking up from sleep mode, everything works normally for about 10 seconds, but then the problems come back.
Here’s what I’ve already done:
- Replaced the CPU (with an i7).
- Replaced the logic board.
- Installed new RAM.
- Replaced the SSD (from a Samsung 840 EVO 500GB to a Samsung 870 EVO 1TB).
- Installed a special temperature sensor for the SSD.
- Reinstalled macOS High Sierra.
- Reset NVRAM/PRAM and SMC multiple times.
I’m using *Macs Fan Control* and *Intel Power Gadget* for monitoring, but nothing changes: the CPU stays at 1.7 GHz even under load, and the GPU runs at minimal capacity.
Has anyone encountered a similar issue or has suggestions on what else I can try? I would really appreciate any advice or help! Thank you!
I'm facing a serious issue with my iMac 27" from 2011 and can't seem to find a solution. Here are the main problems:
- All fans are running at maximum speed.
- The CPU is throttled to 1.7 GHz.
- The GPU is running at only 20% of its capacity.
- After waking up from sleep mode, everything works normally for about 10 seconds, but then the problems come back.
Here’s what I’ve already done:
- Replaced the CPU (with an i7).
- Replaced the logic board.
- Installed new RAM.
- Replaced the SSD (from a Samsung 840 EVO 500GB to a Samsung 870 EVO 1TB).
- Installed a special temperature sensor for the SSD.
- Reinstalled macOS High Sierra.
- Reset NVRAM/PRAM and SMC multiple times.
I’m using *Macs Fan Control* and *Intel Power Gadget* for monitoring, but nothing changes: the CPU stays at 1.7 GHz even under load, and the GPU runs at minimal capacity.
Has anyone encountered a similar issue or has suggestions on what else I can try? I would really appreciate any advice or help! Thank you!
I was going to suggest a different logic board, but you said that you tried that.
So, the most likely area, would be the power supply (some voltage is too low, resulting in the clockdown issue), and also making the system to go "fans on full", as a fail-safe. Something to consider is the age of the rest of the electronics... How much more $ do you want to spend on a Mac that's nearly 15 years old.
So, the most likely area, would be the power supply (some voltage is too low, resulting in the clockdown issue), and also making the system to go "fans on full", as a fail-safe. Something to consider is the age of the rest of the electronics... How much more $ do you want to spend on a Mac that's nearly 15 years old.